Neuromuscular Therapy
Neuromuscular
Therapy sessions are a little bit different than a typical massage
session. Your therapist will assess you by means of your complaints,
history, medical diagnosis, injuries, activities, and by taking
measurements. Testing may include evaluating your posture, range of
motion, muscle strength testing, observing how you walk, visual
assessment, measuring your hip height and pelvic alignment, and by how
your muscle tissues feel. Communication with your therapist is very
important before, during, and after treatment.
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) is a very specialized form of manual
therapy. A therapist trained in NMT is educated in the physiology of
the nervous system and its effect on the muscular and skeletal
systems. The Neuromuscular Therapist also is educated in kinesiology
and biomechanics and how to work in a clinical or medical environment.
By definition, Neuromuscular Therapy is the utilization of static
pressure on specific myofascial points to relieve pain. This technique
manipulates the soft tissue of the body (muscles, tendons and
connective tissue) to balance the central nervous system. In a healthy
individual, nerves transmit impulses (which are responsible for every
movement, function and thought) to the body very slowly. Injury,
trauma, postural distortion or stress cause nerves to speed up their
transmission, inhibiting equilibrium and making the body vulnerable to
pain and dysfunction. It is therefore necessary to stabilize low
levels of neurological activity to maintain normal function and
overall health. In practice this massage approach incorporates
many aspects of Trigger Point
Release Therapy.
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) is a
scientific theory based on recognized physiological laws and
associated principles.
The goal of NMT is to achieve homeostasis between the nervous and
musculoskeletal systems. It combines the scientific applications of
properly applied pressure, gentle ranges of motion and stretches for
the purpose of relieving pain and normalizing muscle tone.
Neuromuscular Therapy will be used to address five elements that
cause pain:
- Ischemia: Lack of blood supply to soft tissues which causes
hypersensitivity to touch.
- Trigger Points: Highly irritated points in muscles which refer
pain to other parts of the body
- Nerve Compression or Entrapment: Pressure on a nerve by soft
tissue, cartilage or bone
- Postural Distortion: Imbalance of the muscular system resulting
from the movement of the body off the longitudinal and horizontal
planes
- Biomechanical Dysfunction: Imbalance of the musculoskeletal
system resulting in faulty movement patterns (i.e., poor lifting
habits, bad mechanics in a golf swing of tennis stroke, computer
keyboarding)
Interested in learning more? Try out our flash cards
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